Would you/ Did you give DC their own iPod Touch?

[ha98ed14]

With all the great apps mentioned here, I am wondering if anyone has an iPod Touch exclusively for their DC. For Christmas, I got the 4th generation one. I've never had any kind of iPod before and I don't have a smart fone, so this is my first experience with this kind of technology. DD is definitely interested in mine, but I hesitate to let her hold it by herself because she drops things all the time.

Did anyone give one to their DC? If so, did you buy a special cover for it? One that bounces...

[Twin Mom]

I think it depends how old your DC is/are. My twins are 8 and they got itouches for their bdays. Any younger and I'm not sure if they would be responsible enough.

[infomama]

Yep. We gave dd1 (7 yo) her own this year (it was DH's old one he never used). We just have a Belkin plasticy cover on it..no problems as of yet.

[ha98ed14]

Yep. We gave dd1 (7 yo) her own this year (it was DH's old one he never used). We just have a Belkin plasticy cover on it..no problems as of yet.

Ok, well DD is 3.75, so clearly a lot younger...

Does anyone have an opinion on MobyGo or Leapster or VTech hand helds?

[sidmand]

Well...both my DCs now have their own. We bought a iTouch for DS for his birthday, I think when he was four :bag. It was mainly so he would stop using my phone. He's also on the spectrum and I justified it that way too. It honestly did help with listening skills, fine motor skills, and keeping him occupied but I know many people wouldn't so much approve of that. Although I can say he's used it almost every single day and we're not planning on getting him any kind of gaming system 'cause he can just use that and we can update the games for much cheaper than we could buy them for a Nintendo DS.

And then DD was using my phone (at first mainly to watch Dora) but she started using some of the apps. When I upgraded my phone to an iPhone 4 she inherited my old one which was an iPhone but now is really just a bulkier iTouch. Mine had a pretty good neoprene case on it that almost bounces if it's dropped and we just kept it as is. At first we actually had two cases on DS's--it had a silicone skin and then I put inside a faux leather case with a cover. At this point it just has the silicone skin on it and he's fine. It's more that the screen gets a little sticky but both screens have screen protectors on them and can just be washed off.

My own phone has the Otterbox Defender to protect it! Once in awhile DD still uses that.

[baileygirl]

Both DH and I have the Otterbox Defenders on our Iphones. I had a prior version Iphone, which the kids dropped, 1 year old dropped in tub, etc...and it was fine. I dropped it without the case and broke the screen. Our kids (4&2) use our phones all of the time, had the prior phone not been broken I would would have passed it down to them (without the phone service).

[infomama]

Ok, well DD is 3.75, so clearly a lot younger...

Does anyone have an opinion on MobyGo or Leapster or VTech hand helds?
Dd2 is 3. She plays with my iTouch all the time but often needs help with it. She plays with dd1's old Leapster and enjoys it. That's the way I would go.

[niccig]

DS is 6 and has been playing with my iPod touch or DH's iPhone since 4.5. We've got it loaded up with games, shows for our long haul flights and he uses it some times at home/in the car. We don't use it a lot, just not something he thinks to ask to use.

I can see him one day getting my iPod touch as a hand me down, but I don't want him to have his own right now. Just not my thing, and I like that he has to ask me if he can use it, as it's mine.

[wellyes]

DD is nearly 3. She plays with our Touch but I would definitely not let her own it. There is no reason to encourage screen time for pre-schoolers IMO. I want it to be a treat that she gets to use for 10-20 minutes. She uses it several times a week but not every day.

Otterbox Defender case is excellent!

Although I can say he's used it almost every single day and we're not planning on getting him any kind of gaming system 'cause he can just use that and we can update the games for much cheaper than we could buy them for a Nintendo DS.

This is a really good point. App store games are cheap and all updates are free and easy to know how to get (for example: Angry Birds just gave away another new level a week ago!). Just make sure you disable in-app purchases if your child is using the device since some game developers are tricky about making it very very very easy for kids to spend lots of $ without realizing it.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

didn't get DS his own, but i let him use it occasionally when we're in restaurants or wherever and need to keep him entertained. i highly recommend the Otterbox defender case before letting a toddler handle an itouch. before i got an otterbox ds dropped it and the screen cracked and i had to get it repaired..lesson learned!

[pinay]

When I got my new iPhone, I handed down my 1st generation iPhone to DD (she was probably 3 1/2 at the time). She likes the concept of having her own to play with but actually prefers mine or DH's still! She's much better now about making sure she is careful when using our phones, but we definitely make sure we're watching her whenever she's got one of ours. We don't really care that much when she's using her own.

[crl]

Yes. We bought ds the original itouch when it first came out. He was just three at the time. No case at all. He only uses it when we are traveling. It still works, four years later.

Catherine

[larig]

When I got my new iPhone, I handed down my 1st generation iPhone to DD (she was probably 3 1/2 at the time). She likes the concept of having her own to play with but actually prefers mine or DH's still! She's much better now about making sure she is careful when using our phones, but we definitely make sure we're watching her whenever she's got one of ours. We don't really care that much when she's using her own.

:yeahthat:
I handed down my 1st gen iphone (no plan, so essentially and ipod touch) to DS who was 2.25 at the time. He doesn't have access to it whenever he wants. We use it as a last resort at restaurants, waiting rooms, etc. I just like that he's NOT using my new one. It is now loaded with DS educational games & some pixar movies, shaun the sheep, etc.

ETA: after re-reading my post, I think I under-characterized DS's use of the phone. He probably uses it about 3-5 hours or so a week, and he also gets to play with an ipad too (which he likes better). He's actually gotten pretty good at writing most numerals through 9 thanks to some ipad games.

[maybeebaby08]

When we got our IPhones DD got our Touch, she's been using it for 9 months but it became "hers" last month. She doesn't have access to it all the time but its really nice when we're waiting somewhere or in a long car ride. I loaded a couple of movies on there and its easier to carry then a portable DVD player. She likes a lot of the different apps, so I feel there's some educational value too. We have the Speck Candyshell on ours and its kept it very protected but I've considered getting an OtterBox Defender because we have them on our IPhones and I love them! We have a DSLite (DH's) and a Leapster and by far her favorite is the Itouch. I hate how bulky the Leapster and the games and graphics are a lot better and cheaper on the Touch.

[urquie]

i bought myself an ipod touch, for dd2's (2 1/2yrs) use. she knows that it is for airplanes and doctor's offices and is totally proficient at using it. we don't have a case for it, but dd has to be sitting down to use it, so it won't drop too far. :) the ipod apps are perfect for dd's attention span. we have lots of videos downloaded on it and she can navigate between them. she also loves to look at the photos and videos that we take with the ipod's camera... and she's been taking a lot of photos herself (of her hands and feet!).

we have a leapster that is much harder for her to use (better for older kids, imo), the size is not convenient and the games are spendy. i kind of feel like it is obsolete.


if you are looking for any more reasons to get an ipod...

i'm also loving it for my own use! i can download ebooks from our library system and listen to them while exercising, or on road trips (if the kids are watching a movie with headphones). i can also check email really quick... and maybe play a game of angry birds. :D

oh, another favorite thing for me - i can now easily take a photo or video and email it, immediately, from the ipod... no waiting for dh to download a full memory card to our computer, format it and send it to me, to forward. the grandparents love getting the short videos (it is limited to about 50 seconds)! also, we can skype the grandparents directly from the ipod, using the front or back camera. the ipod touch is our first ipod/smart phone item and we love it!

eta: another use we just discovered and love - pandora radio!!!

[jess_g]

Well I am afraid I have lost mine to my 15 yr old. She uses it whenever she is home (while whenever she is home and has remembered to charget the thing). Sometimes she lets my 7 year old use it and he is able to use it without dropping it. I think that if the child is dropping it alot than you do need a cover and you do need to watch her as she uses it. We did not get into this technology until my kids were older though. So now they can use it without me watching them.

Jessica.

[egoldber]

My younger DD started using my iPhone at 3, with help. At 4.5 she can use it pretty independently.

When DH and I got the iPhone 4 ( :o ) we kept our old 3s and gave them to the kids to use as Touches.

Ours have been dropped. A lot. And it's been fine. They don't have protective cases of any sort.

[TwinFoxes]

I passed my old iPhone down to them, or rather, they appropriated it for their own use! They don't get to use it every day, but they have a lot of flash card type apps on it they like. I don't even have to help them with it. It's a little scary. They are 33 months.

I doubt I'd actually buy one for them though. I don't let them use it enough to justify it.

[Melaine]

My kids really like their leapsters, and they are the original old ones. We only have a couple games but they switch them out and play them both, so it hasn't been a huge investment.

[mommylamb]

Well, I'm probably in the minority here, but DS got one for his birthday last year when he turned 3, and I'm really glad he got it (it was from my parents, aunt and my sister, but I strongly encouraged it as the kid really didn't need a whole mess of toys from those people). He LOVES it. He has to ask to play with it, and when he's done, we put it away. I wanted it for him because we were flying someplace and we put movies on it, so it was a lot more portable than a portable DVD player (plus no DVDs to lug on the plane). I think it's a great thing for little kids.

[maestramommy]

No. I considered it for about 10 seconds. Then my brain was overrun with the images of 3 girls in a screaming/wrestling match over one itouch and that was the end of it. And the 2 younger ones drop stuff.all.the.time. They don't even know how to play with it. Dora has played on her uncle's iphone so she knows how it works, but the other two haven't.

imo it's just too expensive and fragile of a toy for my kids.

[lhafer]

Ok, well DD is 3.75, so clearly a lot younger...

Does anyone have an opinion on MobyGo or Leapster or VTech hand helds?

My DH happen to "win" an itouch a while back. He had a zune that he loves and I had an Iphone at the time. So we gave it to DD (about the age of your DD or so). We loaded it with apps for her, and because I already had an iphone she knew how to use it. It became hers. She plays with it for a while and then puts it away. She plays with it for a few days, then I don't see it for a few weeks, then it comes back out again. But now she plays a lot with my Ipad (to watch movies and play her games).

As far as dropping it - she's only allowed to use it on carpeted areas, being sitting down, or in the car. I did have a case for it, but it was hindering the sound, so we took it off.

DD just turned 5 (her birthday party is today actually), and she now prefers her Nintendo DS I think. At least I see her playing with that a lot more.

Here she is playing with it in the kitchen while I was cooking dinner:
1587

And as you can see....the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in my family!!
1589

[o_mom]

No, it's not something I would consider outside of extraordinary circumstances.

[egoldber]

And as you can see....the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in my family!!

lhafer, LOL!!!

I'm very familiar with that family dynamic at restaurants. :ROTFLMAO:

[jenmcadams]

My younger DD started using my iPhone at 3, with help. At 4.5 she can use it pretty independently.

When DH and I got the iPhone 4 ( :o ) we kept our old 3s and gave them to the kids to use as Touches.

Ours have been dropped. A lot. And it's been fine. They don't have protective cases of any sort.


This is exactly us...my kids got our old iphones as touches last summer and we drop ours all the time and don't have cases...

[momof2girls]

DD saved money she got from her 8th birthday and bought herself one. She knows it is to stay in the house and not go to our activities so she won't lose it. I wouldn't even consider allowing my 5 year old to get one.

[momof2girls]

Just a thought reagarding the Ipod Touch V. DS. If you consider the price of the games in the long run it may come out cheaper to get an iPod as the games are often $1-$3 and you can't lose cartridges. The DS games are 10-20 times the price.

[kedss]

My 2.5 year old loves her dad's "I" she's been playing on it since she was a little younger than 2, I think, and I always joke that we need to get her her own 'I', but I think she can wait a while. ;)

[kboyle]

Ds3 got an iPod touch 3gen for his 3rd birthday. We decided on it cause it would be cheaper than a DS. Ds2, 5, got one for Xmas...I got it free with a Key Bank promo, and ds1,7, got a 4th gen one for Xmas from my mom. Ds1&2 also have DS's and I have a DS of my own that ds3 plays.

Ernie has had his since last may and it's never been lost or damaged...it's in an otterbox. Max and Charlie both have regular silicone type cases on theirs...again, never been lost or damaged. They have a charging spot and if it's not in there during nap time and bedtime they must plug in and can't play the next day. They know that it has to be in the basket before bed. Same rules with DS.

I like that I can bu.y 1 app and everyone can share it where as a DS game has to be played one kid at a time.

My kids are VERY responsible with their stuff and if they misbehave they know it'll get taken away.

Weve got over 10 DS games = an avg of $250 and about 100 apps (not all installed at once, obviously) that I've maybe spent $30 on.

While we'll continue to get DS games as my boys are gamers I love that they have their iPods too...they all love music ESP ds2 so they would've gotten an mp3 player of some sort anyway.

[Pear]

My DD is 2. Fisher price has announced a new case coming out this summer. I think when it does DD will get a dedicated hand-me-down iPod touch. I am sick of having to be super careful that she doesn't screw up my phone. It's really hard to argue with her using it because she isnt stellar on verbal expression, but if I let her have iPod flashcards that have pictures and a written word she will say the right word for things I had no idea she knew existed. It's been really helpful in actually getting her to talk more.

[mackmama]

My niece got an itouch for xmas. she is 16yo.

[Nooknookmom]

Our 15 yo has had one for some time, and the 3.75 yo wants one.

I'm leaning toward getting her one for her b-day b/c she is very very apt at using her sisters and is very careful.

The apps would make driving/Dr. vistis/errands much easier for ol Mom here ;)

Now that I said all that I'm really hoping that we can pull it off for b-day time!!!

[WolfpackMom]

Right now, I would say I will not until DS is at least a preteen, I am pretty anti gaming system etc (just like my parents were). Yes, I know, DS is not going to like me when he is video game aged. Then again, ask me in a year or two and I verywell may have changed my mind, he is only 14 months now afterall. I would definitely choose a touch over a DS or something like that though.

[erosenst]

Just bought one for DD (7) although she doesn't know that yet...she likely will by the end of the weekend.

As PP's have pointed out, games are SO much less expensive on it than on the DS. She's had a DS for a while, and has been very responsible with it (keeping track of it, keeping it charged, etc) She regulates her time on it well too (ie does lots of other things besides playing on it).

Will also admit there's a little peer pressure here as well - most of her friends have one. If it were something I'm totally opposed to, that wouldn't matter...but I'm not. Many got theirs for Christmas. We're Jewish, and don't give big Hanukkah presents...so that's part of my rationalization.

Oh - and did get the Otterbox Defender case for it. I've dropped *my* phone more times than I'd care to admit...guessing she'll have accidents too.

[YouAreTheFocus]

Right now, I would say I will not until DS is at least a preteen, I am pretty anti gaming system etc (just like my parents were). Yes, I know, DS is not going to like me when he is video game aged. Then again, ask me in a year or two and I verywell may have changed my mind, he is only 14 months now afterall. I would definitely choose a touch over a DS or something like that though.

:yeahthat:

My son is 17 mo and I'm in no rush to get him anything like this. My husband is into video games, has multiple systems and a DS, so I am in for an uphill battle. But we are both onboard w/ no tv til 2, at least, and I really think a screen is a screen.

Also, *I* don't even have an iPhone, or iPod Touch, or anything like that, and my husband just got his first one for his 35th bday, so it wouldn't even be on our radar to purchase for our kid.

[MissyAg94]

No, it's not something I would consider outside of extraordinary circumstances.

:yeahthat:

[MissyAg94]

Also, *I* don't even have an iPhone, or iPod Touch, or anything like that, and my husband just got his first one for his 35th bday, so it wouldn't even be on our radar to purchase for our kid.

:yeahthat:

Sorry for the multiple posts! Forget to multi-quote!

[kijip]

Wolfpackmom and youarethefocus, for what it is worth, we have held firm on the no mobile handheld gaming devices and T is nearly 8. So you may not change your mind. We do, as a family, have an iPad and iPod but most of his use of those is strictly educational apps for homeschooling rather than games or videos. We have come close to changing our minds on this but decided that it would not help our shy book reader to have a nintendo ds or similar. We have a video game system for home, the Wii, and that sees only occasional use for the most part.

[kristenk]

Right now DH is using my old iphone. When he commits to a new phone (most likely whatever new iphone comes out this summer), we'll pass my old iphone down to DD to use as an ipod touch.

She has a DS, but hasn't played with it in a while. She had a leapster when she was younger, but I think anything with a touch screen is easier to use, especially for little kids.

[mezzona]

3 yr old dd inherited our 1st gen iphone. built like a tank. it has a cheapo thick plastic case. i dont even know which one. not even a screen protector. apple products are built amazingly well.

[Beth24]

I am a bit surprised at how many younger kids are getting i-touches. I guess I've always been of the mindset to delay gratification as much as possible for my kids--if they get everything when they are so young, what's left for when they are older? DS1 got his touch at age 11 when he moved from elementary school to middle school and it was a BIG deal. He is so careful with it, and treats it like the prized possession it is. He always complains that he is the last of all his friends to get things, and I actually think thats a good thing. We also held out on a video game system until he turned 13 (he got a PS3 as a Bar Mitzvah gift).

[JoyNChrist]

My mom wanted to buy DS1 an iTouch for his 4th birthday and I told her no.

But he has a Leapster and is constantly playing on my iPhone, so I don't really know what my justification was. But it just didn't sit well with me for some reason.

[lmintzer]

DS#1, who will be 10 in April, really wants one for his birthday. We are definitely an Apple family (you should see our Halloween costumes, lol). DH and I have iPhones and an iPad which the kids sometimes use.

For me, it's deciding whether he's ready to own and care for a piece of expensive equipment. We'd have to figure out a set of rules, including no bringing it to school, rules about about when and how much it could be used for gaming.

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. The kids this age are treating them like phones--using Face Time and texting programs to communicate with other kids. It feels a bit young for that kind of tween behavior!

[egoldber]

I actually made a conscious decision to get older DD a DS when she was 6 to give her something in common with other kids. She tends to have odd interests, and the DS gave her something in common with kids in her class. So these things can definitely be social tools. And for us, gaming has never interfered with her ability to do other things or school work, so it is not a problem in that regard.

[JBaxter]

My 2.5 yr old holds my iPad hostage much of the time. Is it horrible Im thinking of buying a 2nd JUST so I can us it before 9pm every night.

Leap Frog is coming out with the LeapPad Now that we have the iPad I dont know if my kids would be happy with the iTouch ... Sad hun

[g-mama]

I am a bit surprised at how many younger kids are getting i-touches. I guess I've always been of the mindset to delay gratification as much as possible for my kids--if they get everything when they are so young, what's left for when they are older? DS1 got his touch at age 11 when he moved from elementary school to middle school and it was a BIG deal. He is so careful with it, and treats it like the prized possession it is. He always complains that he is the last of all his friends to get things, and I actually think thats a good thing. We also held out on a video game system until he turned 13 (he got a PS3 as a Bar Mitzvah gift).


:yeahthat:

I just asked my 10yo ds if he knows people who have one and he said that a few people he knows do, but not most. He's never asked for one and is happy playing with his DS that he got at age 7. It's never occurred to me to get him one, but it sounds like many of you have one yourselves, which may be a factor. I don't have an iPod Touch or a smartphone either, so the idea of playing games on my "stuff" isn't there.

[Jo]

Heck no. My kids get Leapsters/Leapster Explorers. I have a prepaid ancient cellphone, so they too can suffer with lack of technology. If I ever get an Iphone and/or an Ipad, they can have an Itouch. But I am so cheap that it will be a cold day in %&***.

[purpleeyes]

Absolutely not. I don't even let DS play with my phone (blackberry torch).

[kerridean]

Absolutely positively not!!!!!!!!!!! I also do not allow them to play with my blackberry or take photos with my camera.

[ett]

No, but we don't have any ourselves either. The first one to be getting one (if we do) would be me or DH, not the kids.

[ahrimie]

didn't get DS his own, but i let him use it occasionally when we're in restaurants or wherever and need to keep him entertained.

I just have a regular plastic case on it and it's been fine for us. DD is almost 3 but I've had it for a year and minus a few drops, she's been just fine with it. She doesn't use it often though. We bought it for me but I have a few shows on it and some toddler flash cards and "games"--not much.

She also watched Dora on it after she walked down the aisle beautifully as a flower girl because we knew it would be the ONLY thing that kept her seated and quiet through the ceremony! :P

[shishamo]

I got one for my son on his 10th birthday, and got one for my daughter when she was almost 9 (christmas). Both DH and I have iPhones so they were very familiar with it.

My 6 year old would LOVE it, but I am holding it off a bit longer.

[brittone2]

DS1 and DD use our Touch but don't have their own.

My personal take is that when I let them use it, I am assuming some risk. I don't think a very young child can be expected to anticipate the million and one ways something like a Touch can be broken. For that reason, if I were to buy one for my kids, I would only do so if I could deal with the potential for it to be broken.

My kids are pretty careful, but at that age, there are just so many things they can't anticipate that can cause it to break, kwim?

I say this because one of my brothers purchased a cell for my niece when she was young, and then flipped out when it broke. I honestly don't think that's fair to the child. If you buy it for a very young kid, I think you have to accept the reasonable possibility it will end up broken. I don't think a 3, 4, or 5 yo can be expected to understand the expense involved in replacement and how easily damaged they are. You can explain, but IMO they just aren't able to fully "get" it .

[briarrose]

I never thought I would get one for my DS. I am far from anti-game system, but he already has a DS, so I didn't feel like it was something he needed. Now they are using them in the classroom (he is in first grade), and he wants one. I may think about it for next Christmas.

Anyone else have children who are using these in school? I was so surprised when I found out they had them in the classrooms.

Barb

[wellyes]

This is one of those things where it does kind of depend where you live. I don't usually base my parenting decisions on what others do, of course. But I would not want to have the only 4 or 5 year old in town with his own expensive electronic device. I grew up in a poor area and I know that kids that age are aware of class markers. If it's something where a lot of kids have them, I'd still probably say no, but for different reasons.

I say this because one of my brothers purchased a cell for my niece when she was young, and then flipped out when it broke. I honestly don't think that's fair to the child. If you buy it for a very young kid, I think you have to accept the reasonable possibility it will end up broken. I don't think a 3, 4, or 5 yo can be expected to understand the expense involved in replacement and how easily damaged they are. You can explain, but IMO they just aren't able to fully "get" it .

I agree with that. Giving a young child something delicate, and then calling her on it when it breaks, is not setting her up for success.

[kboyle]

My 2.5 yr old holds my iPad hostage much of the time. Is it horrible Im thinking of buying a 2nd JUST so I can us it before 9pm every night.

Leap Frog is coming out with the LeapPad Now that we have the iPad I dont know if my kids would be happy with the iTouch ... Sad hun

i thought about the leappad too...but yeah...i don't think Ernie will be too impressed :(

[sidmand]

It's never occurred to me to get him one, but it sounds like many of you have one yourselves, which may be a factor. I don't have an iPod Touch or a smartphone either, so the idea of playing games on my "stuff" isn't there.

I think that's a really good point. I think most, if not all, of the people who say their DCs have "their own" iTouch most likely have an iPhone/iPad/iTouch themselves so it's a) not a foreign concept to want one and b) not a foreign concept for the kids to be using one!

[Gena]

DS has his own iPad, although DH and I use it too sometimes (mostly for surfing the net after DS goes to bed). My brother sent it to DS after reading about how iPads are great for kids with autism. DS has a ton of educational and therapy-based apps as well as a bunch of e-books.

When DS was younger, he had a Leapster and enjoyed it a lot.